Teachers union, district head back to bargaining table

Contract talks first in Souderton since Tuesday strike.

Contract talks between the Souderton Area School District and its teachers union will resume today -- the fourth day classes have been canceled because of a strike.

Nearly 520 teachers began their strike Tuesday after negotiations the day before left both sides far apart on several issues, including salary and health care.

District chief negotiator Jeffrey Sultanik hopes the Souderton Area Education Association will be prepared to compromise.

"When we returned to the bargaining table on Labor Day, we brought with us a revised salary proposal and made an attempt at compromise," he said in a statement released Thursday by the district. "We hope the teachers union will do the same when we meet [today]."

Union President Bill Lukridge could not be reached for comment. The contract expired June 30.

Since the strike began, state mediator Jill Leeds Rivera has been in contact with each side. She will lead today's negotiations that will begin at 11 a.m. The district declined to say where the talks will be.

On Wednesday, the state Education Department notified the district and the union that the strike can run no longer than Sept. 23, with classes resuming the next day.

The state set the date so Souderton students can meet the required 180 days of school by June 15. Depending how long the strike lasts, the district may need to cancel scheduled days off. The district said on Thursday that it would not hold classes on weekends, Nov. 27-28, Dec. 24-26, Jan. 1-2, Memorial Day, April 10 and July 4.

The district also outlined the next steps if no agreement is reached by Sept. 23.

Both sides would begin a lengthy process of nonbinding arbitration before a three-person panel. Within 10 days after agreeing to do that, they must submit their final best contract offers, which would be posted publicly, followed by a 10-day public comment period. Arbitrators would then hold hearings to help reach a decision, which must be made within 20 days after the last hearing.

The district and union would have 10 days to accept or reject the recommendation. If either side rejects it, the union could go on strike again. That strike would likely happen in the late spring, the district said, and could last as long as the 6,700 students could complete 180 days of classes by June 30.